Home on the Range

In the 1880s, the lush grasslands and open range around Medicine Rocks supported enormous cattle ranches that dominated the Montana prairie, but the winter of 1888-1889 brought deep snow and severe cold that decimated local herds by up to 90 percent. After the cattle barons moved out, some cowboys remained and established their own ranches, finding success by putting up winter feed so cattle could survive the harsh climate. Homesteaders soon arrived, and the towns of Baker and Ekalaka sprang up. Cowboys, sheepherders, and settlers all valued the beauty and uniqueness of Medicine Rocks, which became a popular place for picnicking in spring, summer, and fall. In 1957, Medicine Rocks became a state park for future generations to enjoy. On the unfenced eastern Montana prairie in the late 1880s, ranchers used brands to identify their horses and cattle, including the XIT brand used by the Capital Freehold Land & Investment Company north of Miles City from 1886 to 1908, the Hashknife brand used by the Continental Land & Cattle Company from southeastern Montana east to the Little Missouri River in the Dakotas from 1880 to 1889, and the Mill Iron brand used by Continental Land & Cattle Company cattle ranging west to Miles City and north beyond the Yellowstone River from 1880 to 1894.

Montana · United States